Machine for fastening buttons



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. SGHWAB.

MACHINE FOR FASTENING BUTTONS.

(No Model.)

No. 344,600. Patented June 29, 1886.

wi lfmaooeo 3331 a r-to mld-x d I I "y C f N. PETERS, Phulo-Ulhugraphur, Washinglnrh n.c.

2 she t -sheet 2. S. SGHWAB.

MACHINE PORFASTBNING BUTTONS.

(No Model.)

Pa tegted June 29, 1886. 3 I fif wi'tmeooeo MM W Ens, Phnwumogm her, waihan mma c.

NlTE TATES ATENT twice.

MACHlNE FOR FASTENING BUTTONS.

QPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344:,600, dated June 29, 1886.

Application filed April 13, 1886. Serial No. 198,727. (No model.)

have invented certain new and useful Im-.

provements in Machines for Fastening But,- tons; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven tron, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to button-fastening machines of that class in which the buttons and their loosely-connected staples are fed from a chute or raceway one by one and delivered into a guide, through which a plunger zofior driver works to force the staples through the material to which the buttons are to be attached, the prongs of the staples being clinched at or turned into the under side of the material, the object being to improve the mechanism by which such operation is performed, whereby the machine is simplified, its efficiency increased, and free access to the parts may be had for repairing, lubricating, and cleaning.

It consists in the novel features of construc tion and combination of the several parts,more fully hereinafter set forth, claimed, and shown in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view, partly in section, showing the relative position of the parts previous to the operation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the relative position of the parts after the operation,just be fore the parts have returned to a normal po sition. Fig. 3 is a front view. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the guiderace. Fig. 5 is a section of the latter on the line X X. Fig. 6 is a section of the guide on the line YY, Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a section of the guide on the line Z Z. Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the feeding-arm. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the lower end of the plunger. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the bed-die.

The standard or upright A is tubular, and is provided at its upper end with an over- Fig. 9 is a view of the staple.

hanging arm, A, throughthe outer end of which works a plunger, B. The lower end of the standard is expanded, and is designed to be attached to anysuitable support. Arm A branching therefrom, forms a support for the material to which the buttons are to be attached. It is vertically aperturcd to receive the shank c of a bed or die, 0, seated in a recess formed in its upper side. The die is vertically adjustable relative to the arm, and is held in its adjusted position by a set-screw, G, passing through the side of the arm and bearing on the shank of the die. To facilitate the adjustment of the die, itsshank rests upon 65 or contacts with a set-screw, O projecting through the lower side of the arm in. such mannor that by turning the screw to the right or left the die will follow its movements and be adjusted higher or lower, as desired.

The upper end of the tubular standard is slotted on one side for a short distance in the direction of its length, forming a guideway, a, in which works a head, 1), from which extends an operating-rod, d, projecting into and working through the bore of the standard. Arm D, springing from the head, unites the same with the plunger B, thereby causing both to move synchronously. Goil'spring (1, surrounding the operating-rod and bearing on the under side of the head and on a stop or shoulder, a, within the bore a of the tubular standard, holds the head and plunger at its highest movement, and returns the same to such normal position at the end of each operation. To facilitate the manipulation of the machine by foot, therebyleaving the hands of the operator free to give direct-ion to the material, and for other purposes, a stirrup, d,is connected with the end of the operating-rod; 0 or, in lieu of such stirrup, any well-known means may be applied.

A presser-guide, E, is yieldingly connected with the endof the plunger by means of a shank, E, projecting therefrom, entering a bore, 1), in the lower portion of the plunger,- and held at its lowest position by a coilspring, B, interposed between the end of the shank and the bottom of the bore. The shank vent any wabbling.

dropping out or being forced from the plunger by a pin, 6', passing through a slot, 22 in the side of the plunger and into the shank.

The end of the presserislocated directly over the bed-die.

Driver F, projecting from the end of the plunger, is uniform in cross-section near its lower portion, which is adapted to work through a bore or guideway, e, of corresponding shape, formed in the p'resser-guide, which is transversely slotted 0r mortised at apoint, e,

between its upper and lower ends. The front side of the presser-g'uide is cut away below" the mortise sufficiently far to permit a lateral l communication with the bore. The upper and lower walls of the mortise areinclined from front to rear in an upward direct-ion.

Within the mortise terminates the lower end thestandard, and having its free end passing loosely througha keeper, h, on the raceway,

whiehis set at a steep incline to insurethe feeding of thebuttons -and their loosely-connected staples. A rectangular opening formed longitudinally through the raceway, havinga raised portion, .9, projecting from its bottom midway from its sldes, leaving :gIOOVGSfI', one on each g side thereof, has a groove, in its crown, ex-

tending the full length. The top of the raceway is provided with a slot, gfleomrnunicat-E ing with the opening therein. The slot is in direct line with the groove g, and the lower corners, g", of that portion ofthe top 'on each side of the slot is beveled to allow the curved F portion of the staple to fit therein and pre-; vent binding between the staple and the button. The "buttons rest on the top in'the usual manner, and-their shanks, having loosely connected therewith staples I, pass through the slot 9 and the prongs of the staples, running in the grooves guide and hold the staplev in'a trueposition relative to the button and prevent the staple binding or becoming acci- 3 dentally knocked to one side-out of line. The

ends of the shanks are adapted to run in the. groove 9 to prevent any sidewise movement f of the buttons. The opening in the raceway communicates with the opening in the presser below the mortise, and the slot g is in reg-. 181381 with the lateral opening through the.

front side of the presser.

The lateral flanges G on each sideof the V raceway terminate in inclined planes G near;

its lower end. These inclined planes inay or may not form an integral part of the flanges, as desired.

, A feeding-arm or ejector, J, located above? the raceway, is pivoted at one end to a lever, K, fulcrumed between its ends onabraeket, I

L, depending from the overhang-ing'arm A. The other or opposite end of the ejector or feedingarm is provided with a cross-head, J, having depending flanges j, to embrace the sides of the raceway and prevent lateral displacement. A bell-crank spring, j, interposed between the lever and ejector, holds the end of the latter close upon the raceway. Spring-arm Z, secured to the bracket L and passing through a loop, is, constantly exerts an upward force on the outer end of the lever K to lift it when its inner end is released from a stop, It, on the plunger.

The parts are so proportioned that when the plunger is at its highest stroke the cross-head on the end of the ejector is at the foot of the inclined planes, and when the plunger is at the end of its downward stroke the crosshead will be at the top of the inclined planes.

In practice the buttons, with the staples I loosely connected therewith, are placed in the raceway withthe prongs of the staples foremost. The buttons are prevented from running through the raceway andheld in check by a delaying spring-arm, M, fastened to the side of v the raceway and having its end projecting within the path of the buttons. The material to which the buttons are designed to be attachedis placed on the beddie. Theplunger being depressed by means of power applied to th'eopening-rod, the pressure-guide descends and rests upon the material. Owing to the yielding connection between it and the plunger, it accommodates itself to varying thicknesses of material. During thedescent'of the plunger the stop k is released from the inner end of the lever K, when, by reason of the spring-arm Z, the ejector is elevated and its cross-head, riding the cams or inclined planes G is gently lifted over a button. The plunger being permitted to rise, the stop will contact with the lever and force its inner end up and its outer end down, carrying with it the ejector, which will disengage a button from the delayingarm. The button, being free, willgravitate and enter the guide-opening in the presser. The staple will be retained within the presser-guide,while-the butshank of the button, forces the prongs of the staple through the material, which, entering grooves in the bed-die, are bent and causedto overlap one-another and clinched at or turned into the under side of-the material. The operation of the device is now continuous, abutton being fed at each upstroke of the-plunger and fastened-at each depression thereof, as will be readily comprehended.

The' staple has raised portion,i, in its base, which engages the shankof the button.

The end of the-driveris centrally depressed to 'receive the raised portion of the'staple and the shank of the button. By this construction the eye of the button-shank is preserved in its natural shape and the driver bears equally on I IIO allel with each. other in a diagonal direction relative to the guide-opening in the presser in such manner that the outer ends of each are directly under and receive the ends of the prongs of the staple and guide them past one another when clinching.

The lower end of the raceway is projected across the path of the driver normally; but upon descent. of the presser-guide it is withdrawn from its path by the spring H, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 18

1. Ina button-fastening machine, the combination of a movable hcad,-a plunger carried thereby, a presser having a shank telescoping with the plunger and provided with a guideopening located to one side of the shank, a spring interposed between the plunger and prcsscr to normally keep them separated, and a driver projecting from the lower end of the plunger, located to one side of the shank of the presser, and adapted to work through the 2 5 guide-opening therein, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the plunger, the guide-presser having an oblong passage-way formed vertically therethrough, a driver, and a bed-die having parallel grooves diagonally arranged relative to the passage-way through the presser, whereby the prongs of the staple will be compelled to pass and lie alongside of each other when clinching, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the plunger, a guide-presser carried thereby, a driver working through the presser, and a support beneath the. presser, of a die secured to said support, and a set-screw bearing upon the under side of the die for positively adjusting it relative to the support, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the guide-presser 5 and the raceway having a delaying-arm, of an ejector or feeding-arm intermittently actuated for positively disengaging the buttons from the delay.ing-arm, substantially as shown and described.

5o 5. The combination, with the plunger, the raceway, and a fecdingarm, ofa stop on the plunger for actuating said arm, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of the plunger, race way, feeding-arm, a lever fulcrumed between its ends and pivotally connected at one end with the feeding-arm, and a stop projecting from the plunger for actuating said lever at or near the end of its movement, substantially 50 as set forth.

7. The combination of the plunger, the raceway, a feeding arm, a lever fulcrumed between its ends and pivotally connected at one end with the feeding-arm, a spring interposed between the lever and feeding-arm to hold the 5 5 latter in contact with the raceway, a spring arm connected with the other end of the lever to exert an upward force thereon, and a stop projecting from the plunger within the path of the free end of the lever to act in opposition to the force of the spring-arm, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a button-fastening machine, the combination, with the guide-presser, of a raceway having a longitudinal opening therethrough, and a raised portion extending from its bottom side, forming grooves, one on each side of the raised portion, between it and the sides of the openings, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

9. In a button-fastening machine, the raceway having a guideopening therethrough, and a raised portion extending from the bottom of the opening and forming grooves on each side thereof, between it and the sides of 8 the opening, and having a groove in its top, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. In a button fastening machine, the here in-described raceway having an opening there through and a guide-slot leading therefrom 0 through the top, and having the under lower corners of the top adjacent the slot beveled, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

11. The combination of the raceway, inclined planes near its lower end, and an ejector or feedingarm riding upon said planes in its operation, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

12. The combination of the raceway, a de- 103 laying-arm projected across its path, and an intermittentlyoperated feeding-arm to act in opposition to said delaying-arm, as and for the purposes described.

13. In a button-fastening machine, the com- 105 bination of the guide-presser having a cruciform opening therethrough, and a driver of corresponding shape to work in said opening, substantially as described. I

14. The herein-described driver for button fastening machines, cruciform in cross-section and centrally depressed at its end, forming extensions to bear upon the shank of the button and the shoulders of the staple.

In testimony whereof I aliix mysignature in 1 r 5 presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL SGHIVAB.

IVitn esses:

MARTIN F. Boo'rrr, It. W. MAJOR. 

